University News Last updated 28 January
A BCU alumna who set up her own business has had her designs nominated for Gift of the Year.
Victoria Eggs, who graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art in 2005, is the Founder and CEO of Victoria Eggs, a British gift and homeware company.
The Gift of the Year Awards are a leading industry accolade, celebrating the best new products, talent and ideas each year.
Victoria's products have been shortlisted five times across three categories in this year鈥檚 Gift of the Year shortlist, with winners being announced later this year.
Two of Victoria鈥檚 homeware items, the Royal Albert Hall 鈥� Bees at the Hall Roof Slate Coasters and the Jane Austen x British Library Collection, have been shortlisted in the 鈥楳ade in the UK鈥� 'Heritage Gifts incorporating Commemorative, Collectable and Charitable' categories, and the Jane Austen x British Library Collection was also shortlisted in the 鈥楤randed and Licensed Gifts鈥� category.
On how it felt to be shortlisted, Victoria said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to share that we鈥檝e been shortlisted for Gift of the Year across multiple categories, a fantastic recognition of our products and the collaborations behind them.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always rewarding when thoughtful design, craftsmanship and storytelling are recognised by the industry.鈥�
Victoria founded the company in 2011, and hand illustrates and designs every piece herself in her Kingston upon Thames studio.
When asked where Victoria gets her inspiration from, she simply says it鈥檚 everywhere: 鈥淲hen I鈥檓 given a brief, I start building up a mental picture. I can see how it will look, I just need to get it out on paper. That feeds in from everything I've seen - exhibitions, books, shops, even colour palettes in stores.鈥�
"It鈥檚 about savouring those quintessentially British moments - climbing aboard a classic Routemaster, wandering the hidden corners of London streets, enjoying an afternoon tea or the comforting scent of salt and vinegary chips in the air. I love celebrating timeless British traditions that make everyday life a little more special."
Every piece is proudly made in the UK, and crafted by care by skilled craftspeople, and her products are stocked by stores such as Liberty, Harrods and Waterstones, as well as landmarks such as Tower Bridge.
Victoria describes owning her own business as a privilege; 鈥淚 feel incredibly lucky to spend my days doing what I love, creating a business that truly works around my family. I鈥檓 surrounded by the most wonderful, supportive team, and together we鈥檙e diving into some extraordinarily exciting projects. While the to-do list is constantly growing and the pace never slows, it feels like such a positive energy. We鈥檙e in a fantastic place to keep growing and, most importantly, to keep bringing fresh new designs to life. It鈥檚 a genuine privilege.鈥�